INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND CALL

By1. A. GHOZALI NURKALAM 2. NANA SUZANA3. DIAN FARIJANTI4. EROH MUNIROH

It has been indicated that individual differences play an important role in

language teaching and learning should not be neglected

MODELS OF SLA AND THEIR VARIABLES

INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES

DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL-RELATED VARIABLES AND OTHER

VARIABLESEg, social (environmental) variables,

contextual variablesAnd regards their effect as independent

Of one another(the ‘Good Language Learner model,

monitor theory model, framework and Levin’s schematic model)

ASSUMES AN INTERRELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL VARIABLES

The ‘Good Language Learner’ model(proposed by Naiman et al (1978)

Three independent variables (teaching, learner, context & Two dependent variables (learning, outcomes)

TEACHING

THE LEARNERS THE LEARNERS

THE CONTEXT

MATERIALSSYLLABUSMETHODOLOGYRESOURCES

AGEINTELLIGENCEAPTITUDEMOTIVATIONATTITUDEPERSONALITYCOGNITIVE STYLE

EFL/ESLOPPORTUNITIES FOR USESOCIAL MILIEU

Unconscious processes-generalisation-transfer-simplification

Conscious processes-strategies

Proficiency-listening-speakin-reading-writingErrorsInterlanguageActive reasons

MONITOR THEORY

The monitor theory consists of five hypotheses.(Krashen et al)

(1)The acquisition-learning hypothesis(2)The natural order hypothesis(3)The monitor hypothesis(4)The input hypothesis(5)The affective filter hypothesis

The affective filter hypothesis is the most relevant as the source of learner-related output variation.

THE MONITOR THEORY

The affective filter is a major source of variation; the success of language learning varies depending on several factors embraced within the affective filter such as attitude, motivation, self-confidence and/or

anxiety this theory postulates that the affective filter may cause the quality of acquisition to be higher or lower

INPUT

CognitiveOrganisers

OUTPUT

MO NITOR

AffectiveFilter

BROWN AND FRASER’S FRAMEWORK (1979)

Scene

Purpose (eg, Buying,lecturing or playing a game

IndividualsSetting (eg Bystandars, locale and time

Participants

Indidual as member of a social category (eg, Class, ethnicity

Situation

Individual qua individual (eg, Personality, attitude

Relationship between individuals (eg, Shared knowledge, power

BROWN & FRASER’S FRAMEWORK

Examines how individual situational variables affect language choice

LEVIN’S SCHEMATIC MODEL

FOCUS INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN OUTPUTPROPOSES TWO MAJOR STAGES: DIAGNOSTIC & PRESCRIPTIVE

HIS MODEL FOCUSED TWO VARIABLES: INPUT & OUTPUT“Input variables refer to variables that differentiate

between learners in terms of the traits, abilities, and prerequisites that are related to successful

output-task performance” (Levin: 1977:29)

GARDNER’S EDUCATIONAL MODELGardner’s schematic representation of the theoretical model

Social milieu Individual differences Social milieu Social milieu

Intelligence

Language aptitude

Formal language training

Linguistic

Cultural bebief

Motivation

Situational anxiety

Informal language training

Nonlinguistic

Gardner’s operational formulation of the socio-educational model

integrativeness

Cultural belief

Nonlinguistic

Informal Attitude towards the learning situations

Language aptitude

motivationLinguistic

Formal

Skehan’s influences on language learning (1989)Classrooms and material The learner

Oppotunities for target language use Learning Outcome

Social context

MaterialSyllabusMethodologyResorces

Organisation -structuring -explicitivenessResponsiveness -appropriateness of pacing -individualisation -feedback provision

Access to NS -in class -out of classOpportunities for comunication language useOpportunities for negotiation

Expectation of bilingualismRelationship to target language communityAttitude to target languageSocial class

Conscious strategies

Unconscious strategies

IntelligenceAptitudeMotivationAttitudePersonalityCognitive style

ProficiencyErrors fossilisationAffective outcome

Spolky’s model of SLA

Leads to

which appear in the learner as

which joins with other personal chracteristics as

all of which explain the use the learner makes of the available

the interplay between learner and s situation determining

t

Social context

Previous knowledgeCapabilities

Social context

PersonalityAge

Motivation

Linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes for the learners

Learning opportunities

FIVE FEATURES OF SPOLSKY’S MODEL

1. Combining in a single theory all aspects of SL/FL learning unabashed immodesty.

2. A restriction to the specific domain of SL learning and focus on individual differences.

3. An assumption that “all many parts (variables) of the model apply to specific kind of learning, and that there is a close interaction among various parts (variables) of the model.

4. A spirit of eclectisism seems to underlie Spolsky’s model.5. The model recognises the importance and existence of ‘social

context’ as an important domain affecting learning outcomes.

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

AGE : older children (11-15) perform better in production of correct morphology and syntax, and younger children (6-10) possess better English pronunciation (Fathman: 1975). Krashen et al (1979) conclude that (1) adults proceed through early stages of syntactic and morphological development faster than children,(2) older children acquire faster than younger children, (3) acquirers who begin natural exposure to SL during childhood generally achieve higher SL proficiency than those beginning adults.

ATTITUDE: A student who has a negative attitude toward learning a target language is not normally, interested in following a lesson or program. Successful SL acquisition may depend on the attitude that a language learner brings to the situation (Henning: 1983). According to Randhawa and Korpan (1973), there are four classifications of attitude: (1) utilitarian, attitude related to usefulness of learning,(2) aestheticism, attitude related to the appreciation of the language, (3) tolerance, attitude reflecting an accepting attitude rather than any direct positive orientation toward learning, (4) specific factor, attitude related to specific, normally single item.

MOTIVATION:Motivation is the extent to which learners make choicec about (a) goal to pursue and (b) the effort they devote to that pursuit(Brown:1994)Three points to be noted : (1) the nature of the source of stimulation, (2) the strength of the intention of doing something to achieve a goal, (3) the nature of the goal or goals.INTELLIGENCE: IQ as a variable in language learning context is still worthwhile, but not a variable in isolation (Spolsky: 1989)LERNING APTITUDEPREVIOUS KNOWLEDGEFAMILIARITY WITH COMPUTERSINTERACTION WITH NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISHLANGUAGE USED FOR INTERACTION WITH COMMUNITY

CONCLUSION

Despite the fact that not all studies on the relationship between individual-related

variables and language learning achievement have revealed similar findings, the majority of studies indicate that these

variables significantly affect language learning achievement

THANK YOUDANK USUWUN

SYUKRONHATUR NUHUN TERIMAKASIH